Commentary

In September, the Competition Bureau released a post-study assessment to its 2007 report that looked at restrictions impeding competition in five professions, including the law. The profession had been on tenterhooks as to what the assessment would say and how it would affect the regulation, in particular, of the profession across the country.

This month’s cover story, “A decade on,” examines the state of anti-terrorism laws in Canada over the decade since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in the United States. These efforts have two difficult issues to surmount, and they are the same ones faced by many countries, including the U.S.: how to heighten security while balancing individual rights and freedoms, and how to fight a “war” on terror that’s often beyond national borders and doesn’t involve a state player. Not an easy task for any government.

My mother used to chastise me as a teenager when I got cocky, warning me never to get too big for my britches. Basically, it was an ego check. She was reminding me not to be conceited and show an exaggerated sense of my own importance.

Starting a legal career is daunting, whether you begin as a big-firm associate, member of a small partnership, solo practitioner, government lawyer, or in-house counsel; whether you start out on Bay Street, in the burbs, or on a country road.

The big news of this issue is, of course, our second annual Top 25 Most Influential list. Our first effort last year got quite a bit of feedback, and we took that into account when planning this latest edition. Nominations came from readers, members of last year’s list, as well as an internal panel of Canadian Lawyer and Law Times writers and editors. We think it’s a pretty good mix of people and really showcases some of the influential voices in the legal profession in Canada.

We are very proud of the journalism we do here at Canadian Lawyer and once again I am happy to announce that at this year’s KRW Awards, which recognize the best in the Canadian business press, our magazine took home a gold and two silver awards. The gold award was in the best marketing/merchandising article and was won by Montreal lawyer and freelance writer Ava Chisling for our May 2010 cover story “How am I doing?” The story looked at the steps Canadian law firms, both small and large, are taking towards integrating client feedback into their firms’ culture.

A recent U.S. court decision reminds us of the importance of considering potential third-party-beneficiary issues when drafting contractual indemnity provisions in Canada. On March 3, the New York Supreme Court (Appellate Division) upheld a lower court decision giving Diamond Castle Partners, a U.S. private equity firm, the right to sue IAC/InterActiveCorp. for damages for breach of representations IAC made in connection with the sale of its subsidiary, PRC LP, in late 2006. Diamond Castle was not a party to the purchase agreement. Instead, the representations were made to Panther/DCP Acquisition LLC, an affiliate of Diamond Castle formed for purposes of completing the acquisition. After the deal closed, PRC and Panther merged. In January 2008, PRC filed for bankruptcy and Diamond Castle’s equity interest in PRC was extinguished as part of the ensuing reorganization.

For both partners and associates at law firms, it’s all about the money. And I don’t mean that in a derogatory way. The way lawyers get paid and earn revenue is at the heart of most law firms. Every law firm — no matter what type of law you practise, where you are located, or how many people there are in your firm — needs to make money in order to stay afloat. But you may be surprised at how “shy” Canadian lawyers are to talk about money.

You can only appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada if it lets you (there are limited exceptions to this rule in criminal cases). The judges, standing at the courtroom door so to speak, may deny you admission, and generally do. It’s a critical juncture in the life of a case and in the pursuit of justice. A retired Supreme Court judge told me, “If we don’t grant leave when we should, justice has been denied.” Another retired judge echoed these words when I spoke to him.

I’m not going to opine about who was wrong or right in the conflagration between the Canadian Bar Association and the former board and executive director of the Canadian Corporate Counsel Association, the topic of this month’s cover story, “Fighting for independence.” All I can say is that it has not been pretty, but at the end of the day, here’s hoping that corporate counsel end up benefiting from it.